Today’s report from the Health Information and Quality Authority lays bare Tusla’s inability to deliver on its mission to protect vulnerable children and young people, according to Social Democrats children spokesperson Aidan Farrelly.
Deputy Farrelly said:
“When children are telling inspectors that their life has gotten worse since coming into care, you have to question the Minister for Children, her Departments and Tusla’s competency to turn things around.
“Since being elected, I have been vocal about Tusla not being fit for purpose, and for the
critical need to invest in childcare services strategically, in a targeted manner, instead of trying to plug gaps in a scattergun way.
“Special care units are failing on a number of fronts, from fire safety standards to a basic
lack of consistency in care across settings.
“It should not have taken the death of a young person in a State care arrangement for the
Minister to legislate for the National Review Panel to be put on a statutory footing – that
should have been in place from the get-go.
“How many more HIQA reports or damning testimonies from children in care do we need before the Department acts with the urgency required to fully resource our care services?
“I am calling on the Minister to publish a detailed workforce plan for Tusla that will ensure we have enough social workers and social care workers to meet the needs of the expected 100,000-plus referrals this year and beyond.”
December 2nd, 2025